
Class T &X? 
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Copyright^ . 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



3&eginiiiiig 



at 



Jerusalem 



Stuiies in ^Historic 
Communions of ♦ ♦ . . 
<Tbristen6om 



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Sen. QL 3L IJattg, fty. 1L 

Urrtar of (Etyttrch of tlj* 2fed*? mer 
Srnokltftt, N. f. 



Stew $?ork 

TEiwin S. <5orbam 

37TEast 28tl) Street 






Copyright 

By the Author 

1909. 



©CLA251524 



TO 

THE BISHOP OF SOUTHERN FLORIDA 

HEROIC MISSIONARY 

STAUNCH DEFENDER OF THE FAITH 

THIS BOOK IS INSCRIBED 

WITH SINCERE AFFECTION 

IN MEMORY OF 

LONG FRIENDSHIP 



preface 

^^^HESE sermons were delivered in re- 
^J^ sponse to a general and deep inter- 
est on the part of the congregation 
in the subject of Christian Unity. A sympa- 
thetic study of the historic communions of 
Christendom will contribute to an intelli- 
gent grasp of the issues involved in the 
endeavor to heal the divisions of the church. 
It "will help us to gain the perspective im- 
plied in "Unity in essentials ; liberty in non- 
essentials ; charity in everything." It will 
reveal the force of Gregory's saying: 
" Things are not to be loved for the sake of 
places but places for good things." 

We have something to learn from that 
ancient communion whose theology bears 
the impress of such master spirits as Clem- 
ent of Alexandria and Athanasius. The 
Eastern Church has never been devoid of 
interest for us. Theodore the second 



6 Preface 

Archbishop of Canterbury was a Greek 
monk and the pope was so suspicious of his 
eastern sympathies that he sent Adrian 
to England with him lest perchance he 
introduce something contrary to western 
tradition. It is a curious fact that the ene- 
mies of Wiclif charged him with maintain- 
ing opposition to papal polity that "All 
Christendom ought to live independently 
like the Greek Church/' We must be 
ready to do full justice to Rome's work of 
consolidation while maintaining our own 
impregnable position nor minimizing the 
profound differences that separate us 
from her. England's insular location has 
given the national church a unique vantage 
ground. Close enough to the continent to 
feel the influence of the religious life of 
Europe yet sufficiently removed to preserve 
her independent lines of development, the 
English Church has ever been in touch 
with the various factors that have entered 
into the spiritual history of men. We recall 
with pride that Alcuin an Englishman, 



Preface 7 

educated at York, the traditional birthplace 
of Constantine, became the educational 
adviser of Charlemagne. We are not un- 
mindful that in the person of Boniface who 
planted Christian civilization in Germany, 
England gave the gospel to her Teutonic 
kin across the water. We must never for- 
get that it was Wiclif who inspired Huss 
and the influences set in motion in Bohemia 
came to a focus more than a century later 
in Luther. The Reformation on the continent 
widely different as it was from the move- 
ment in England may be traced to forces 
that emanated from Lutterworth rectory. 

England is the rock whence our church 
was hewn. She stands today the historical 
representative of the purest traditions of 
Anglo Saxon Christianity in the United 
States. To her we may apply the words so 
gracefully used in a somewhat similar way 
by an English statesman, " matre pulchra 
filia pulchriory Her opportunity is unique. 
Bishop Whipple once Qh&xdLQXzxxzzdi her 
mission as one of reconciliation. An emi- 



s Preface 

nent Congregationalist* makes the state- 
ment : " The Episcopal Church, by virtue 
of its tradition and position, has, as no oth- 
er, I am venturing to say, the opportunity 
and the call to become the mediating 
Church among all the churches/' 

Unity must be grounded in the historic 
past. It was grand old Bishop Ken who 
said, " I die in the faith of the catholic 
church before the disunion of east and 
west." The old faith of the undivided 
church affords a basis on which the scat- 
tered members of God's household may 
yet be brought together. 

T. J. L. 

Advent 
1909 



♦Newman Smyth. 



(Totttents 

JERUSALEM— MOTHER OF 
CHURCHES — THE ORTHODOX 
CHRISTIANITY OF THE EAST 

ROME— THE PATRIARCHATE 
OF THE WEST 

THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION 
—DID HENRY VIII FIND OR 
FOUND IT? 

THE AMERICAN CHURCH 



Jerusalem — ilutlje r of <£frurrtj*a— 

©lie (rtrthpuax Christianity of tije lEasi 



Jerusalem— /iDotber of Cburcbes— 
Che Orthodox Christianity of the €a$n 

" Beginning at Jerusalem*"— $t. Cuke xxto: 47. 

JERUSALEM is the Mother of 
X^) Churches. From the Jewish capital 
the gospel spread. The standard 
of the Crucified was planted in every cen- 
tre. The word pagan "villager" became 
synonymous with unbeliever. The cross 
conquered the cities. The movement 
struck deep root in Antioch in Syria where 
the disciples were called Christians. Gen- 
erous in its charities and mighty in mission- 
ary enthusiasm this church was first to 
grasp the world-wide destination of the 
faith. Thence St, Paul started forth to pro- 
claim the tidings. 

One Sunday last summer I made my way 
along Pacific Street to the unpretentious 
building which bears the inscription " St. 



14 Beginning at Jerusalem 

Nicola's Syrian Greek Orthodox Church." 
I cannot describe my emotions as I listened 
to the chanting of the service. I was partic- 
ipating in the worship of the oldest com- 
munion of Christendom — the church of 
Athanasius and Basil, of Gregory Nazian- 
zen and Gregory of Nyssa, of the golden 
tongued Chrysostom. 

Christianity was born in the east. The 
Greek language was the medium of revela- 
tion. It is peculiarly adapted to the express- 
ion of subtle shades of meaning. The Ni- 
cene Creed is an eastern symbol. The his- 
torical setting of the ecumenical councils is 
Greek. 

Our age is peculiarly interested in survi- 
vals. Science rings with the note. In these 
days of renewed research into the origins 
of Christian history and antiquities the 
Greek Church so venerable in its traditions 
rightly claims attention. 

I am to speak of the orthodox Christian- 
ity of the east. The Holy Eastern 
Orthodox Church is the church of 



Beginning at Jerusalem 15 

Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, 
Jerusalem. It includes also the churches 
of Russia, Greece, Servia, Montenegro, Bul- 
garia, Roumania, Cyprus, etc. Following 
the early division into patriarchates equal 
in authority it knows no earthly head and 
yields no submission to the Pope. At Nice 
three patriarchates existed in germ : Rome, 
Antioch, Alexandria. The latter was ap- 
pointed custodian of the calendar. By the 
time of the second council, Constantinople 
had arisen. It was given second place. 
The principle governing this action was the 
political importance of the city. Secular 
greatness was the ground of ecclesiastical 
precedence. Jerusalem finally won recog- 
nition by reason of its connection with both 
dispensations. 

In the year 1054 four patriarchates in the 
east separated from communion with the 
west, the first significant breach in the unity 
of Christendom. The ostensible cause was 
the Filioque which became the battle 
ground of controversy. This clause first 



Beginning at Jerusalem 



appeared in the creed in the VI century 
at the Spanish Council of Toledo. It could 
not plead ecumenical authority. With 
scrupulous fidelity the Eastern Church 
stood for the Nicene symbol. Back of this 
theological controversy there lay racial 
distinctions, differences of temperament, 
the political cleavage between east and west 
and the opposition of the east to the grow- 
ing claims of the papacy. 

The Greek worship expresses religious 
devotion in a way adapted to the eastern 
mind. The temperament of the east inclines 
to the metaphysical, loves to dwell on 
the subtle mysteries. The ritual inspires 
awe and is marked by lengthy rhetorical 
commemorations in contrast to the terse 
collects of our own liturgy. The Byzantine 
is its native architecture. The ornamenta- 
tion is rich in coloring, blue and vermilion. 
The churches are adorned with sacred 
icons. The magnificence of the ceremonial 
had much to do with the establishment 
of the church of Russia. Tradition is that 



Beginning at Jerusalem 17 

Vladimir sent an embassy to investigate the 
religious systems of the world. When they 
came back with a report of the splendor of 
St. Sophia the scale turned in favor of the 
Greek form. 

The churches are built towards the east. 
There are no organs. There is no instru- 
mental music. The absence of seats is a 
reminiscence of the Nicene canon which 
enjoins the standing posture in prayer. The 
Eastern Church uses the Julian calendar 
which differs from our own by thirteen 
days. Baptism is by trine immersion. Leav- 
ened bread cut from a whole loaf is 
employed in the Holy Communion. 
Wafers are not used. St. Paul's imagery is 
carried out: "we are all partakers of that one 
bread." The sacrament is administered in 
both kinds. The service is in the vernacu- 
lar. The Scripture is freely circulated. 
The priests are married. Long beards and 
flowing locks are distinguishing marks of 
eastern ecclesiastics. I sm struck by the 
similarity between the Greek system and 



is Beginning at Jerusalem 

our own. Beneath variations in national 
temper there is a common life, a common 
spirit, a common fidelity to the historic 
creed, the common possession of an apos- 
tolic ministry. 

The Eastern Church has been preemi- 
nently the home of monasticism. The con- 
templative life accords with its conserva- 
tive, immobile temper. The prelates are 
taken from the ranks of the monks and are 
unmarried. Monasteries are intrenched in 
quarters most remote, in the mountain sanc- 
tuaries and along the Dead Sea. The one 
that possesses largest interest for us is the 
fortress monastery of St. Catherine on Mt. 
Sinai, built by Justinian. In the spring of 
1844 Tischendorf made his way up the 
rugged heights. The monks pulled him to 
the narrow entrance by a rope and allowed 
him access to the manuscripts. He per- 
ceived in the hallway a basket of moulder- 
ed parchments about to be thrown into the 
fire. Examining them, he discovered pages 
of a Greek Bible the most ancient he had 



Beginning at Jerusalem 19 

ever seen. This led to the recovery of the 
verson now in St. Petersburg. Codex 
Sinaiticus is a precious possession of the 
Greek Church. It is interesting to note in 
passing that each of the historic commun- 
ions of Christendom has the custody of one 
of the ancient manuscripts of Holy Script- 
ure. The Latin church holds the Vatican 
manuscript at Rome and the Alexandrian 
manuscript is among England's national 
treasures in the British Museum. It was 
the gift of Cyril Lucar, patriarch of Alexan- 
dria. Hence its title. He found it in the 
famous monastery on Mt. Athos. The pos- 
session of this manuscript and the name 
of the donor who afterwards became pa- 
triarch of Constantinople suggest an inter- 
esting chapter in the history of the Greek 
church and its relations with the Anglican. 
Our worship is debtor to the Eastern 
Church for the collect which closes the 
daily offices. Cranmer was a student of the 
Greek forms. Through his influence the 
prayer of St. Chrysostom from St. Basil's 



20 Beginning at Jerusalem 

liturgy has been set like a precious gem in 
our Book of Common Prayer, linking us to 
the ancient east. 

The Greek Church has made contribu- 
tions also to our hymnal. John of Damas- 
cus was the great theological writer of 
Eastern Christendom. His memory lingers 
amongst us in his Easter hymns, "The 
Day of Resurrection " and "Come ye faith- 
ful raise the strain/' His lot was cast in the 
troublous days of the VIII century. His 
fellow monk Andrew of Crete has crystal- 
lized the history of the age in the hymn 
"Christian dost thou see them/' Forces 
were at work which threatened the ex- 
istence of Christianity. Moslem hordes 
were sweeping like a scourge over the 
world. A path of blood, carnage and des- 
olation marked their progress. Damascus, 
Antioch, Jerusalem, Alexandria fell into 
the hands of the enemy. Province after 
province was lost to the Empire. The 
sacred shrines came into possession of an 
alien power. The holy places were defiled. 



Beginning at Jerusalem 21 

The spirit of the time finds expression in the 
mournful cadence : 

Christian dost thou see them, 

On the holy ground, 

How the powers of darkness 

Rage thy steps around. 
It was the beginning of the end — the har- 
binger of darker centuries to come. East- 
ern Christianity never regained ascendancy. 
Disaster followed disaster until finally in the 
XV century Constantinople itself, the met- 
ropolitan city, fell into the hands of the 
Turks and the last of the Caesars lay dead 
among the slain. The crescent supplanted 
the cross on the dome of St. Sophia. Yet 
even in that day of calamity scholars driven 
from the Byzantine capital brought the 
treasures of Greek learning to the west and 
inaugurated the renaissance in Europe. 
Thus the Eastern church made Western 
Christendom its debtor. 

Last spring a party made its way to the 
patriarch's palace at Jerusalem. Foremost 
in the company was the Bishop of Southern 



ii Beginning at Jerusalem 

Florida, bearer of a greeting from our House 
of Bishops. The patriarch received the 
communication graciously, welcomed the 
visitors and gave each one a necklace and 
his photograph. Kneeling in their midst 
he offered a prayer and pronounced the 
benediction. The spirit of the interview is 
significant of the sympathetic approach be- 
tween the Eastern Church and our own. 
There is a mutual yearning for and reach- 
ing after unity in God's own time and in 
His own way. 

I have a profound veneration for this 
ancient communion. I believe she has yet 
an important part to play in the life of 
Christendom. Menaced on every side she 
keeps a light shining in the land where the 
gospel dawned in splendor. She holds 
the custody of the Holy Sepulchre and 
waits in hope of a brighter day. We ad- 
mire her scrupulous fidelity to the ancient 
creed, her firm resistance to papal aggres- 
sions, her patient witness for Christ under 
oppression. In many places she finds her- 



Beginning at Jerusalem 23 

self in the condition of the apostle, ' 'troubled 
on every side yet not distressed ; perplexed 
but not in despair ; persecuted but not for- 
saken ; cast down but not destroyed/' But 
day is breaking. Already there is a glim- 
mer on the horizon. Moslem misrule can- 
not continue. The Mohamedan yoke must 
yet be broken and with the termination of 
Ottoman power a new era will dawn. 
Christianity will flood the land of her birth 
with the radiance of midday and to this 
ancient communion will come a voice, 
" Behold I have set before thee an open 
door and no man can shut it." 

The year has witnessed momentous 
changes in the Turkish Empire. These 
cannot but have a profound effect on the 
future of the Eastern church, opening the 
way to a revival of spiritual power. 

There is a curious legend in connection 
with one of the mosques which was once 
a church. The Moslem covered every 
Christian symbol and a tradition arose that 
when those symbols reappear the power 



24 Beginning at Jerusalem 

i,' .. . ■■■',,- 

of the Crescent will wane. Travelers tell 
us that the plaster is wearing away. The 
hidden picture of the Christ is dimly visi- 
ble. The time is at hand ! The day of 
awakening is nigh ! When the banner of 
the cross is unfurled over the east the vis- 
ion of the poet-bishop will find realization : 
The cross to old Byzance restore, 
There let Christ reign, our king and priest, 
Basils and Chrysostoms once more 
Be born to christen all the East ! 



Ham* — Sty* fatrtarrlja!* of ilj* WtBt 



TRome— Zbc patriarchate of tbe TKItest 

"Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of 
me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at 
Rome."— Acts xxiii: iu 

XN the Semitic Museum at Harvard 
the other day, I saw a papyrus frag- 
ment dating to the early years of the 
IV century. It contained the opening verses 
of St. Paul's letter to the Romans. The 
apostle had not visited the city when he 
wrote, but Christianity was there. Tradition 
has linked the name of St. Peter with Rome, 
but there is no historical evidence that he 
ever bore official relation to the church. The 
absence of any mention of him in St. Paul's 
epistles and the references in 2 Timothy 
4:11 and 16 are clearly against the suppo- 
sition of his residence there. 

Perhaps a clue to the origin of the church 
is afforded by the "strangers of Rome" in 
Acts 2:10. May not these strangers have 



2$ Kottte — Cbc Patriarchate of tbe Ulest 

spread report of the things they witnessed 
at Pentecost. Tidings would be carried to 
the city with which the whole world was in 
communication and tradition would natural- 
ly gather around the name of St. Peter who 
was spokesman on that day. Certain it is 
that the faith was planted in Rome at an 
early time. To this church St. Paul wrote 
and when he journeyed thither as prisoner 
of the Lord, Christians came to meet him 
4 'whom when Paul saw he thanked God 
and took courage/' The church was Greek 
in language and literature. North Africa 
not Rome was the home of Latin theology. 
Obscure in origin this church was destin- 
ed to play an important role in history by 
reason of its proud claim that all Christen- 
dom must be in communion with the Roman 
see and submit to the pope. The essence 
of papalism is the assumption that the church 
was founded on St. Peter and that he be- 
came bishop of Rome. He transmitted his 
headship to his successors so that Rome is 
mother and mistress of churches and the 



Rome— Che Patriarchate of the West 29 

pope is vicar of Christ. The classic source 
of appeal is the saying of Jesus — " Thou art 
Peter and on this rock do I build my church." 
But this text will not bear the superstruc- 
ture men have sought to rear thereon. The 
rock foundation of the church is not 
St. Peter but Christ. This interpretation 
takes into account the distinction between 
petros and petra in the original and accords 
with all we learn of St. Peter in the New 
Testament where we search in vain for any 
evidence of primacy. The same authority 
bestowed on him in Matthew 16 : 19, was 
given to the twelve in Matthew 18 : 18. The 
promise of the keys was amply fulfilled on 
the day of Pentecost at Jerusalem, and later 
at Caesarea. To St. Peter came the distinc- 
tion of opening the church to Jews and Gen- 
tiles but when we study his relations with 
the apostolic college we fail to discover the 
slightest recognition of superiority. He 
takes part in the council at Jerusalem 
on equal footing with the rest under the 
leadership of St. James. In St. Paul we 



30 Rome— Che Patriarchate of the Ule$t 

have the reminiscence of a controversy. 
" When Peter was come to Antioch I with- 
stood him to the face because he was to be 
blamed." Strange words these to use 
toward the pope ! The primacy of St. Peter 
finds no support in Scripture. 

It is equally clear that Rome's primacy 
was unknown in the early church. The 
witness of the ecumenical councils is unmis- 
takable on this point. The very existence 
of the Eastern communion, most ancient of 
churches, repudiating the supremacy of 
Rome indicates that papal primacy was no 
part of primitive polity. 

The Papacy is a distinct, historical move- 
ment. We know when it began. We can 
trace its development. We can point out 
the conditions that fostered its growth. We 
can discover how the patriarchate develop- 
ed into a primacy. We can note the steps 
by which the Roman pretensions gained 
acceptance in the west. Each is plainly 
marked. The Papacy did not spring into 
existence full blown. It grew by slow and 



Rome— the Patriarchate of the West 31 

almost imperceptible degrees. We may 
take the year 607 as a startingpoint when 
the Emperor gave Boniface III the title 
universal bishop which his predecessor had 
repudiated. Beginning like a cloud the size 
of a man's hand, enhanced by temporal sov- 
ereignty, bolstered up by forged decretals, 
culminating under Hildebrand, appropriat- 
ing the feudal system, the movement gother- 
ed strength from the circumstances of the 
times. The position of Rome as chief city 
of the west and political centre of the world 
gave its bishop a peculiar prominence due 
to the wealth and strength of the church 
over which he presided. The removal of 
the imperial court to Constantinople left 
him the leading official in the old city. The 
masterful personality of some of the early 
occupants of the papal chair and their zeal 
in the conversion of the nations tended to 
augment Rome's predominance. Finally 
the destruction by the Saracens of the an- 
cient strongholds of Christianity left Rome 
without a rival and gave her a monopoly of 



32 Rome— the Patriarchate of tfte Ulcst 

prestige. The field of church history was 
transferred to the west which was destined 
to witness the largest conquests of the faith. 

The elements were ripe for the rise of 
the papacy. Its historical root is found in 
that awe and reverence with which men 
w r ere wont to regard secular Rome. Rome 
always made a forceful appeal to the im- 
agination. Those who had long looked to 
the city as the centre of law and govern- 
ment turned readily to it as authority in 
ecclesiastical affairs. The Church was the 
legitimate successor of imperial Rome. 
Inheriting the seat of empire she manifested 
a genius for administration. Her organization 
followed the model of the state with the 
pope in place of Caesar and the college of 
cardinals corresponding to the senate. 

The keynote of this system was centraliz- 
ed authority and the wondrous consolidation 
of power effected by the church made the 
papacy the leading factor in the unification 
of mediaeval Europe and wrought mightily 
to save civilzation at a time when floods of 



Komc— Ok Patriarchate of the Ulest 33 

barbarianism threatened the overthrow of 
the social fabric. The papacy was the 
centripetal force of the middle ages. The 
church organization came into accord with 
the feudal system which was indigenous to 
mediaeval Europe. It adapted itself to that 
particular phase in the history of the peo- 
ples of Europe but where the Latin form 
has gained adherents among other races it 
has undergone modification. This is illus- 
trated in the Maronites. Some time ago I 
attended mass at their little crypt about a 
mile from our church. I sought an inter- 
view with their priest a very superior rep- 
resentative of his race. His long beard gives 
him the appearance of a Greek rather than 
a Latin ecclesiastic. These Maronites of 
the Lebanon district of Syria are in com- 
munion with Rome but they have their own 
patriarch bearing the title patriarch of An- 
tioch to whom they make report. They use 
the vernacular in their liturgy which differs 
somewhat from the Latin mass. Some of 
their clergy are married. 



34 Rome— the Patriarchate of the lOest 

When I was a college lad I heard the late 
Bishop Coxe give an account of a settle- 
ment of Ruthenians in Pennsylvania whom 
he characterized as "model Roman Catho- 
lics." These "uniats" are in communion 
with the pope but they retain many feat- 
ures of the national church of Russia, cele- 
brating the eucharist in both kinds in their 
native tongue. Their pastor is an honest 
priest with a wife like Peter himself. In 
order to force the papacy on these peoples 
Rome found it necessary to relax her rigid 
conception of unity. 

The Latin system is the creation of an 
age whose dominant characteristic was the 
subjection of the individual to the insti- 
tution. The church has not gotten beyond 
the feudal stage. The laity look to the 
priests, the priests to the bishops, the bishops 
to the pope whose vicars they are. Every- 
thing revolves around the pope as the cen- 
tre of the system. The solidarity of the 
episcopate is sacrificed. The individual is 
completely subordinated to the organiza- 



Rome— the Patriarchate of the Ulest 35 

tion in unvarying, inflexible, military uni- 
formity. The authority of the church is 
supreme. The church regulates every de- 
tail of the man's life even to the books he 
may read. By stifling thought and re- 
pressing individuality all are fashioned in 
the same mould. 

The viewpoint is mediaeval. The lit- 
urgy is crystallized in mediaeval Latin. The 
doctrine of the eucharist is expressed in 
mediaeval philosophy. The church's mes- 
sage is couched in mediaeval terms. 

For this reason the Roman Church can- 
not meet the spiritual and intellectual de- 
mands of our generation. She is out of 
touch with the deeper problems. She 
stands still 

" — amid the rush of progression 
Like a frozen ship on a frozen sea." 
Failing to interpret truth in the language of 
our times she has been superseded. In those 
lands where she was most deeply intrench- 
ed the scepter has slipped from her grasp. 
She is no longer supreme in the intellectual 



36 Rome— Che Patriarchate of the Ulest 

or social life of men. The world has passed 
her by. The papacy is the shadow of a 
once mighty force that dominated the west, 
"a mediaeval ruin whose crumbling tower 
fascinates the passing antiquarian but where 
no sane man would think of seeking shelter 
in a storm."* A writer makes the state- 
ment that so sagacious and far seeing a 
pope as Leo XIII was unable to adapt him- 
self to the requirements of a new age, "all 
his writings exhale the atmosphere of the 
Middle Ages. Only in that air could he 
breathe freely. The climate of modern 
times was too bracing." But Leo was sim- 
ply the embodiment of the spirit of his 
church. 

Everything points to a state of unrest 
within the Roman communion. Her splen- 
did administrative system may hold this in 
check and prevent its coming to the sur- 
face, but the discontent is there like a smol- 
dering volcano. There is wide-spread in- 
tellectual revolt within the church. Cardi- 

* Tyrrell. 






Rome— Che Patriarchate of the lUest 37 

nal Mercier laments the extension of the 
modernist spirit which has infected France, 
Italy, England, Germany and is in the at- 
mosphere. Thoughtful minds within the 
Roman communion, loving her and loyal in 
their allegiance to her, are yearning for an 
interpretation of religion more in accord 
with the needs of the day. Should this 
spirit become pronounced and widespread 
and assert itself with sufficient force it may 
lead the church to a truer conception of 
catholicity. 

Catholicity is not narrow, arrogant, ex- 
clusive. It does not rest in blind devotion 
to the past but gathers to itself the treasures 
of the past in order that it may relate them 
to the present. Holding the ancient faith it 
adjusts its message to the life of today. True 
to the old landmarks it preserves the proper 
balance between the individual and the or- 
ganization. Maintaining the authority of 
the church it gives large play to individual- 
ity. No one race exhausts the content of 
catholicity. Each appropriates the catholic 



3$ Rome— the Patriarchate of the lUest 

heritage and gives it expression along the 
lines of national and racial adaptation with 
different ceremonial forms and varying 
types of spiritual experience. The church 
is like the scribe bringing forth out of his 
treasure things new and old, finding the vi- 
tal application of the ancient creed to new 
conditions. The unity of the church is not 
mechanical. It is not the unity of the win- 
ter landscape where all is frozen stiff and 
lifeless. It is the unity of an organism. No 
two parts are exactly alike. No two have 
precisely the same function, yet all are nec- 
essary to the perfection of the whole. It is 
the unity of a musical masterpiece blending 
many notes into a grand symphony. It is 
the unity of the family where different ages, 
temperaments, dispositions assemble at the 
fireside, bound by common ties of blood 
and affection. Like the unity of nature it is 
unity in diversity. The centre of the 
church's unity is not the Bishop of Rome 
but the Bishop and Shepherd of souls. 



QJtje Attgliratt (Emrotmnum 



TIbe BngUcan Communion 

"Inquire tftou whose son the stripling is." 

—I Sam, xoii:56. 

^^^HESE words were spoken on that day 
V ^J when the son of Jesse distinguished 
himself. His prowess brought him 
before the public eye. The question of 
ancestry came to the front. Whose son is 
this? A similar question is asked today 
with regard to the English Church. Men 
have felt the spell of those wonderful gath- 
erings in London.* What is this institution, 
they ask, which can muster so distinguished 
a body of representatives ? Tell us of your 
lineage. 

The English Church is interwoven with 
the life of the nation. Its beginnings are 
lost in apostolic antiquity. Britain was 
opened to the civilized world by the [ Ro- 
mans, 

The Julian spear 

A way first opened : and with Roman chains 

The tidings come of Jesus crucified. 
The message struck root in the hearts of 

* The Pan-Anglican Congress. 



42 the Anglican Communion 

the people. A wealth of tradition gathers 
about the Celtic church. Ingenious com- 
mentators have read in the very names in 
2 Timothy 4:21 a reminiscence of St. 
Paul's connection with British Christianity. 
Legends of Joseph of Arimathea linger 
about Glastonbury Abbey. 

Joseph came of old to Glastonbury 
And there the heathen prince Arviragus 
Gave him an isle of marsh whereon to build 
And there he built with wattles from the marsh 
A little lonely church in days of yore. 
We know that at the beginning of the IV 
century British bishops were at the Coun- 
cil of Aries. The church existed then a 
free autonomous organization. This Celtic 
Christianity was ultimately blended with 
that of the Saxon conquerors. The conver- 
sion of England was the joint work of many 
missionaries. Columba and Aidan and 
Augustine and godly women not a few 
made worthy contribution. The national 
church is the outcome of the consolidation 
of various missionary centers. In the course 



the Anglican Communion 43 

of generations prejudices died away and 
the masterful hand of Theodore welded 
the scattered Christian communities, some 
Celtic some Roman into one church in the 
VIII century. 

The Norman Conquest altered the com- 
plexion of society. This was most marked 
in ecclesiastical affairs. William's policy 
was to fill vacancies with Normans. The 
church administration came completely into 
foreign hands. Within a few years there 
was only one bishop who was not a Nor- 
man. The result was the extension of pa- 
pal influence. 

England was the last country where the 
pope gained a footing. Its geographical 
position saved it. Cut off from the conti- 
nent the church was able to preserve her 
freedom and autonomous life. The church 
of England was independent of Rome and 
free from foreign interference. Nor must 
it be understood that William directly 
fostered papal influence. The recognition 
of the pope was no part of his pro- 



44 the Anglican Communion 

gram and he asserted the royal supremacy in 
such a way as to leave Rome in no doubt 
regarding his stand. William Rufus was no 
more inclined to brook papal interference 
than his father. The point at stake in his 
long controversy with Anselm was papal 
recognition. The same issue reappeared in 
the reign of Henry I in the investiture con- 
troversy. We have recently heard much 
of pro Romanism. It is not new. From the 
time of Augustine there were those who 
desired the extension of the pope's influ- 
ence. Some like Wilfrid were moved by 
the hope of personal advantage through the 
pope's interference. Others like Anselm 
were foreigners by birth and training who 
did not fully appreciate the Anglican position. 
Great in sanctity and mighty in intellect An- 
selm was so steeped in the conception of pa- 
pal authority prevailing on the continent that 
he was not able to enter into sympathy with 
the idea of ecclesiastical autonomy so dear 
to the hearts and convictions of Englishmen. 
While individual leaders from time to time 



the Anglican Communion 45 

manifested a bias toward Rome, their attitude 
was not representative of the mind of the 
church. They did not voice the feelings of 
the rank and file of the people. Shakes- 
peare accurately interprets the best senti- 
ment of the nation when he puts the words 
into the mouth of a Plantagenet king : 

w Thou canst not, Cardinal, devise a name 

So slight, unworthy, and ridiculous, 

To charge me to an answer, as the pope. 

Tell him this tale, and from the mouth of England 

Add thus much more, that no Italian priest 

Shall tithe or toll in our dominions. 

So tell the Pope, all reverence set apart, 

To him and his usurped authority.'* 

England never willingly submitted to 
Romish usurpation and not without vigor- 
ous protest did papal domination finally in- 
trench itself on British soil. The weakness 
of king John brought about England's sub- 
jection. But papal victory was short lived. 
Even in that dark hour the spirit of inde- 
pendence asserted itself with might and 
found unmistakable expression. The lion- 



46 Cbe Jlnglican Communion 

hearted Langton led the movement that 
wrung from the monarch the Magna Charta 
so clear in its recognition of the national 
church,"Ecclesia Anglicana shall be free and 
have all her rights and liberties inviolable." 
This was in 1215. In 1250 Grossetete led 
opposition to papal decisions. In 1279 the 
statute of Mortmain checked papal en- 
croachments. In 1351 Parliament passed 
the first Statute of Provisors against papal 
patronage. Two years later came the Stat- 
ute of Praemunire forbidding appeals to 
Rome. These successive acts of legislation 
registered the historic opposition of the 
English people to outside interference. Pop- 
ular sentiment was growing. It found voice 
in Wiclif. He translated the Bible. He 
assailed papal supremacy. Accused of her- 
esy he was summoned before the council. 
He appeared for trial. The populace gath- 
ered about him. None dared molest him. 
He continued his protest. His lay preachers 
penetrated every town and hamlet. The 
movement took root among the peasantry 



tbe Anglican Communion 47 

Chaucer's " Canterbury Tales " are 
thoroughly imbued with the doctrines. 

I have seen the Mississippi receiving the 
burden of many streams, increasing in size 
and velocity until the pent up waters burst 
forth overflowing the banks, breaking the 
levees, sweeping away every barrier. So 
the sentiment of the English nation was re- 
inforced until in the reign of Henry VIII it 
attained maturity. The psychological mo- 
ment had come. 

A quarrel between the pope and the king 
was the occasion for throwing off the papal 
yoke. Henry had married his brothers 
widow. The alliance came within the pro- 
hibited degrees. It had been authorized by 
a special dispensation from the pope. Hen- 
ry wished a divorce. He applied to Clem- 
ent. The pope adopted a Fabian policy. 
The king was displeased. He took a bold, 
independent stand, disavowed papal author- 
ity, asserted the royal supremacy, laid his 
case before Cranmer who pronounced the 
marriage null and void from the beginning. 



4$ tbe Anglican Communion 

The pope was completely set at naught. 
Here was the church's opportunity to strike 
a blow on behalf of her ancient liberty. In 
1534 both convocations passed the memo- 
rable resolution, "The Bishop of Rome hath 
not by Scripture any greater authority in 
England than any other foreign bishop." This 
was the death knell of papal taxes, appeals 
to Rome and the intrusion of foreigners 
into ecclesiastical offices. The words fall on 
our ears like an echo of the reply of the 
Celtic bishops to Augustine a thousand 
years before in the conference under the 
oak : " Be itjknown and declared that we 
all, individually and collectively, are in all 
humility prepared to defer to the Church 
of God, and to the Bishop of Rome, and to 
every sincere and godly Christian, so far as 
to love every one according to his degree. . 
But, as for any other obedience, we know of 
none that he whom you term Papa, or Bish- 
op of Bishops, can demand Our 

obedience is due to the jurisdiction of the 
Bishop of Caerleon, who is alone, under 



tftc Anglican Communion 49 

God, our ruler, to keep us right in the way 
of salvation. 

The legal repudiation of the papal claim 
by the king opened the way for the church's 
declaration of independence. No new 
church was formed. The organization was 
one and the same before and after 
Henry VIII. 

Here we discern the point of cleavage 
between the Anglican and continental Re- 
formations. In Germany and Switzerland 
we see the influence of individual leaders. 
One man draws a body of people about 
him, separates from the existing church and 
sets up an independent organization. The 
result is the formation of sects. Each is start- 
ed by some man, bears the impress of his 
leadership, is called by his name. It is 
impossible to point to any one person as the 
author of the English Reformation. It was 
a deliberate, authoritative movement of the 
whole church which had submitted under 
protest to the papacy and now rose in re- 
bellion, broke the yoke of servitude and re- 



so the Anglican Communion 

gained freedom. The continental move- 
ments were sudden, violent, radical. The 
Anglican was orderly, deliberate, conserv- 
ative, completed by slow steps through sev- 
eral reigns. Every change was made with 
authority and found cordial acceptance 
with clergy and people. The same bishops 
held their sees before and after the Refor- 
mation. There was no breach with the 
past. The church preserved her continuity. 
As the Hibbert lecturer says : " There is no 
point at which it can be said, here the old 
church ends, here the new begins." 

Like the architecture of a great cathedral 
bearing the mark of different epochs the 
national church gathers to herself the con- 
tributions of successive generations. 
Throughout the constant mingling of races — 
Roman, Celt, Saxon, Dane, Norman — the 
church was the bond that welded diverse 
elements together. The unifying power of 
the church entered in to allay antagonism, 
to alleviate bitterness, to put an end to hos- 
tility, teaching men to rise superior to race 



Cbe Anglican Communion si 

prejudices. She wrought mightily to a mu- 
tual understanding among races. When 
the land was divided into a number of petty 
kingdoms there was begotten a conscious- 
ness of unity and kinship. The people felt 
that they were one because they had a com- 
mon faith. Thus the church gave birth to 
national feeling and the spirit became so 
powerful that all lines of demarkation were 
swept away and many peoples were merg- 
ed into one consolidated mighty nation. 
The state was the child of the church. At 
every point the church has been para- 
mount, and when the fountain springs of 
England's greatness are sought the influence 
of the ancient church looms up — the con- 
science-builder of the nation, fostering the 
highest ideals, engendering patriotism, in- 
spiring literature and learning, leavening the 
civic life, contributing a purifying stream of 
moral inspiration like the river of the an- 
cient vision of which the prophet declares, 
"Everything shall live whither the river 
cometh." 



©ijr Amrriran UUfurri? 



Zbc Hmerican Cburcb 

"moses wben be was come to years refused to be 
called tbe son of Pbaraob's daughter."— fieb, xi :24* 

y~~T N incident in the career of Moses — 

J_ ^ suggestive I think of an experience in 

the life of our communion. There is 
a feeling amongst us that the present title 
does not adequately express the character 
of the church. I interpret this as an indi- 
cation of a growing consciousness of our 
historical position. This church declines 
to be regarded as the child of the XVI cen- 
tury. She was not born at the Reforma- 
tion. Her history goes back to the begin- 
ning. 

As early as 1579 the Prayer-book ser- 
vice was heard on American soil when the 
chaplain of Drake's vessel celebrated divine 
worship on the Pacific coast, a fact com- 
memorated by a massive Celtic cross in 



56 the American Cburcft 

Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Half a 
dozen years later the Prayer-book was used 
on the Atlantic seaboard when Virginia Dare 
was baptized at Roanoke. Thirteen years 
before the landing of the Pilgrims services of 
the English church were held on the Kenne- 
bec. Thus at the commencement of Amer- 
ican exploration and discovery the voice of 
the liturgy sanctified the new found realms. 
The permanent settlement of the new 
world began at Jamestown in 1 607. The 
colonists were churchmen. When they 
left their far off homes they brought with 
them the priest of God. With a sail stretch- 
ed overhead and for a pulpit a bar of wood 
nailed to two neighboring trees Robert 
Hunt celebrated divine service. This prim- 
itive temple gave place to something more 
substantial, a homely, barnlike structure 
which in time was superseded by a build- 
ing of brick. The outline of the ruined 
tower is familiar and the celebration of 300 
years of American Christianity lingers in 
memory. 



the American Church 57 

Those sturdy colonists had daily morn- 
ing and evening prayer, two sermons on 
Sunday and Holy Communion quarterly. 
The sacred edifice became the centre of 
every influence that made for the welfare 
of the people. The House of Burgesses 
met in the church. Taxes were levied 
at service time, single men being assessed 
according to their dress, married men ac- 
cording to the dress of their wives. 

The vestries were depositories of power 
in colonial Virginia. Their functions cov- 
ered a wide range. They governed the 
church, elected the minister, levied taxes, 
enforced laws, settled disputes, cared for 
orphans, and were representatives of the 
whole populace. 

It is significant that in this colony 
where church and state were so intimately 
connected the idea of American liberty had 
its birth. Representative government was 
first realized in the House of Burgesses. It 
had its inception on that day when dele- 
gates from each of the eleven plantations 



5$ the American gfturcft 

met together to legislate for the colony. The 
foundation stone of constitutional liberty 
was laid in that state where the Episcopal 
church was established and predominated. 
I stood last week in the room where the 
Declaration of Independence was adopted. 
On the wall are the portraits of the men 
who had a hand in the making of the nation, 
Rutledge, Nelson, Jefferson, Harrison, Nix- 
on, Livingston etc.,and among them Will- 
iam White, chaplain of the Continental 
Congress and first bishop of Pennsylvania. 
The placing of his picture there is a striking 
recognition of our church's place in the na- 
tional life. She made splendid contribu- 
tion to the colonial cause. In St. John's 
Church, Richmond, Patrick Henry gave 
voice to that immortal sentiment, "give me 
liberty or give me death." The stirring ca- 
dence fell like a clarion call on the ears of 
the oppressed colonists. The scene is typ- 
ical. The note of freedom sounded from 
the lips of a devout son of mother church 
speaking within the walls of the sacred 



the American Gburcb 59 

building itself. When the revolutionary 
struggle came churchmen championed 
American independence and were largely 
influential in shaping the institutions of the 
republic. Two-thirds of the signers of the 
Declaration of Independence were mem- 
bers of the Episcopal church. The more 
noted leaders, Henry, Washington, Frank- 
lin, Harrison, Lee, Morris and a host of oth- 
ers belonged to our communion. 

While the church's main strength was in 
Virginia she was represented by congrega- 
tions in every section of the country. These 
lacked the centralizing force of episcopacy. 
They were under the jurisdiction of the 
Bishop of London who exercised his over- 
sight through commissaries. No bishop had 
been appointed for America. Confirma- 
tion was not administered. Churches were 
not consecrated. Candidates for the min- 
istry journeyed across the sea for ordina- 
tion. The church was without a head. 
Episcopal leadership was wanting. The 
outlook was disheartening. 



60 Cfcc American Cbtircb 

The scene shifts to Connecticut. At an 
early day the seed had fallen on this stern 
soil when a Prayer-book found its way in- 
to Guilford and came into the hands of 
young Samuel Johnson who was destined 
to play prominent part in the ecclesiastical 
life of his generation. The church had 
never been without witness and men re- 
membered the day when all New England 
was shaken as with an earthquake by the 
defection of Cutler of Yale from Congrega- 
tionalism. 

In 1783 ten of the fourteen clergy of 
Connecticut assembled in a little house at 
Woodbury. They determined to have a 
bishop. They expected opposition. So se- 
cretly were their plans matured that no 
layman was present. No minutes were 
kept. Choice fell on Samuel Seabury who 
began his religious work as layreader in 
this diocese of Long Island. He went to 
England for consecration. The bishops re- 
fused. He waited a year in London. His 
funds were exhausted, 



the American Cburcb 61 

"Vainly from England's kindred handi, he sought 

The precious boon he craved." 
In despair he turned to Scotland and on a 
bleak November Sunday he received con- 
secration at Aberdeen. He was a master 
spirit in shaping the American church and 
our communion office in its close conform- 
ity to the Eastern Liturgy bears the impress 
of his influence. He stamped his personal- 
ity on his diocese. Connecticut church- 
manship has traditions of its own. Seabury 
was a unique picturesque figure. A con- 
temporary writes, " I saw him wearing his 
scarlet hood and mitre and though I was 
then a dissenter his stately figure and sol- 
emn manner impressed me very much. ,, 

Meantime churchmen elsewhere were 
not inactive. The Corporation for the Re- 
lief of Widows and Orphans of clergy met 
in New Jersey in 1 784. This organization, 
purely philanthropic, became the salvation 
of the church. The Scripture was justified 
"cast thy bread upon the waters." At this 
meeting the religious outlook was discussed 



62 tbe American Church 

and further deliberations culminated in the 
first General Convention in Philadelphia. 
Correspondence was entered into with 
England looking to the consecration of 
White and Provoost for Pennsylvania and 
New York respectively. The ceremony 
took place in Lambeth Chapel in 1787 and 
the bishops landed in New York on Easter 
day. 

The struggle to obtain the succession wit- 
nesses to the supreme importance which 
this church attaches to the apostolic minis- 
try. Maintaining continuity with the past 
through her episcopate she set herself to 
the task of winning the nation. Religious 
work was confronted with grave difficulties. 
It was an epoch of indifference. Men were 
engrossed with the stirring issues of politi- 
cal reconstruction. Atheism was sweeping 
through the land. In many places there 
was deep-rooted prejudice against our com- 
munion. But there were giants in those 
days and as the history passes in review we 
exclaim, "what hath God wrought !" The 



tfce American Church 63 

church was like the Psalmist's vine out of 
Egypt, " when it had taken root it filled the 
land." 

Beginning under conditions most un- 
promising and with popular sentiment ad- 
verse the Episcopal church has grown in 
numbers, influence and wealth. She has 
justified herself to the American people and 
won recognition by her intrinsic merit. Her 
system accords with the spirit and genius 
of American life. Her very organization 
follows that of the state. The analogy be- 
tween the civil and ecclesiastical polity is 
striking. Diocesan conventions correspond 
to state legislatures. The General Conven- 
tion in its two houses corresponds to Con- 
gress. In a marvelous way the ancient 
church adapted herself to the new condi- 
tions. In her services she remembers the 
President of the United States and all others 
in authority. Her Prayer-book made up 
largely from Holy Scripture ministers to 
the deepest needs of the devotional life 
and lends itself admirably to the celebra- 



64 the American Church 

tion of civic occasions offering a reverent, 
dignified expression for prayer and praise. 
The church stands for a comprehensive 
presentation of the gospel ; for a sane, con- 
sistent interpretation of Christian life ; for 
an effective system of religious nurture em- 
bodied in the round of the ecclesiastical 
year. She discriminates between funda- 
mental and incidental things. She bears un- 
varying witness to the faith once delivered 
to the saints, but guarantees the largest free- 
dom of belief and practice consistent with 
unwavering fidelity to the unchanging ver- 
ities of the creed. She does not make the 
word of God of none effect by tradition. 
She lays on her children no greater burden 
than the necessary things. Her spiritual an- 
cestry is of the past but she is in close sym- 
pathy with the freedom and progress of the 
present. Her wondrous power of adapt- 
ing herself to the varying needs of men is 
the ground of our large hopes for the future. 
She is able in a remarkable way to touch 
the life of the people on many sides. There 



the American Church 65 

is something about her that wakens a re- 
sponse among all sorts and conditions of 
men whether in the everglades of Florida or 
mid the trackless snows of the Alaskan wild 
or among the cowboys of our western fron- 
tier. She is at home alike in the university 
centers or in the slums and tenement dis- 
tricts of the large city. She is grappling 
with the race problem in the South and lay- 
ing Christian foundations in our new pos- 
sessions in the distant tropics. The social 
service committees in many dioceses are 
indication that she is alert to the industrial 
situation and the complex problems arising 
out of the conditions of modern civilization. 
From the Atlantic seaboard through the 
great west to the Golden Gate and the ori- 
ent beyond there is no phase of life which 
this church is not able to meet. She is a 
leaven in the polyglot life of America which 
has been termed, not inaptly, the melting 
pot of the nations. The plan of the cathe- 
dral of St. John the Divine calls for seven 
chapels where the worship may be celebra- 



the American Church 



ted in as many tongues — a fitting picture of 
the church gathering into one many peo- 
ples of different languages and varying 
types of religious experience. Be this her 
mission to point the way to unity and prove 
a unifying force in the life of American 
Christianity. 

I recall an incident related by one who 
has since gone to rest. He built a little 
wooden church in the Berkshires and caus- 
ed a text to be inscribed above the chancel 
arch. One winter's night a fire broke out. 
The church was burned. The roof had 
fallen. The tower was toppling. The win- 
dows were destroyed. The chancel was 
gone but the arch was standing and over it 
the inscription and the words were these : 
"There shall be one fold and one shepherd." 
Noble motto! Glorious text ! Inspiring 
vision ! 



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